AAA Roadside Assistance. Is It Worth It?

[kuntrygirl]

Does anyone have AAA Roadside Assistance? I received a letter from them on yesterday offering it to me. I have heard of AAA but I wasn't sure if it's worth the money? What are the good and bad things about having AAA Roadside Assistance?

 

[duckinnut]

I would say yes. While I don't have it on my vehicle, I do on my daughters car who is in college(currently home on break but you wouldn't know because she is never home). Being 600 miles away there isn't much I can do when a call at 5:30 am comes in with a crying daughter and a dead battery and she is already supposed to be at the barn at school by 5 to turn out the horses. My DW called AAA and it was active immediately and they sent someone right after we signed up. Just having that piece of mind in case of a flat or keys locked in the car helps with the fathers mental anxieties with the whole college thing. Being a maintenance freak about vehicles but realize you can't prevent everything, although I did test the battery before she left and it seemed OK but things happen.

 

[GardeNerd]

I have had it for almost 3 decades. We haven't used the road side assistance part of the insurance that many times over the years, but AAA does come with other features we find valuable. I think we have used the towing, maybe six times. We can do DMV registrations at their local office, get free maps and travel books, use a travel agent, and buy discount movie tickets to name a few services included with it. We used the locksmith service that is part of the road side assistance at least a dozen times during our coverage. They unlock the doors if you lock the keys in, or in my hubby's case, the replaced the ignition for free when a car thief damaged it. I feel in our case it has been money well spent.

Between the piece of mind and the extra little things, it has been nice to have, especially as our cars age.

 

[Conchis]

I travel for work and I have had it for years. It's one of those things that you hope you have and never have to use, but it sure is nice to have. You can get discounts on hotels and such with it as well.

 

[cassie]

It is a great service. It doesn't cost very much and it is well worth the money. If your car dies on the side of the road it is a godsend. I even had them come out when I locked my keys in the car at a shopping mall. I would not be without it. I can't think of anything negative about having it.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Sounds good. I called them to see how much it would cost and they said that it would only be $47.00 a year. The promotion that I received in the mail yesterday was for membership for me and a 2nd person could get membership for FREE. After reading everyone's replies, it sounds like it's a good service to have.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

I have had it for about 10 years and been really happy with it. I got a flat tire while on vacation in Las Vegas and they can out helped me with out any problem or hassle or extra cost. Rental car while on the east coast. Same thing.

I would look into the extended plan or whatever they call it where you get more towing miles. Depending on how much you drive and how far you are driving regularly you may or may not need it. But I recently had to get towed 30 miles and the regular AAA only covers 7. Ouch.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I have had it for about 10 years and been really happy with it. I got a flat tire while on vacation in Las Vegas and they can out helped me with out any problem or hassle or extra cost. Rental car while on the east coast. Same thing.

I would look into the extended plan or whatever they call it where you get more towing miles. Depending on how much you drive and how far you are driving regularly you may or may not need it. But I recently had to get towed 30 miles and the regular AAA only covers 7. Ouch.

That's a good idea about the extended plan. I work about 30 miles from home, so I think that would be beneficial for me. Thanks for that information.

 

[duckinnut]

Another benefit is if you are in a friends car and break down,run out of gas ect... You can call and because you are a member it is covered. Rather have and not need it than......you know the rest.

 

[duckluck]

The other thing is, if you have a breakdown and are in a rural area, even your smartphone might not help if you don't have a good connection to get on the internet to look for a tow service. It can be hard to find someone, and AAA already has reputable companies lined up. You don't have to wonder who you are getting.

The devil can be in the details, however...if you own a trailer and get the RV membership, be sure you know what is covered. I was told that if I have a horse trailer with living quarters, it would be towed, but my bumper pull which does not have a LQ would not be. So if you have specific needs, be sure to check with them and find out which memberships cover what.